Pantheon or Spanish Steps?

[basil's mom]

I plan on staying in Rome a few days pre-cruise. Where should I be looking for a hotel - Pantheon or Spanish Steps area?

[ab0si]

I think most people would find the Piazza Navona (near the Pantheon) more agreeable of the two areas mentioned.

 

That said, I usually stay by the Villa Borghese (the Spanish Steps on on the south edge of this). But that is more due to my two favorite hotels being there and i love starting the day with a walk through the park.

[euro cruiser]

The ideal location for most tourists is the triangle area between Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The Spanish Steps area is fine, but a little out of the way for most tourists, especially first timers.

[cruisemom42]

Even for someone who has been to Rome multiple times, I find the Pantheon area to be the best location overall. I've stayed at the Spanish steps and near the Colosseum, and both were fine but I much prefer the Pantheon location. I like staying closer to the Pantheon as I find the atmosphere fun and bustling, but a little less touristy than Piazza Navona.

 

Not that you mentioned this, but for other readers: I would not consider staying near the Vatican unless that is primarily what you want to see. It's not the most convenient location for the rest of Rome.

[Fblack]

My DW prefers the Spanish Steps area. The closer to Via Condotti and the Fendi and Gucci shops the better.

[cruise kitty]

we stayed at the waldorf astoria near the vatican area, it's really an inconvenient location, but a fabulous hotel. We use our points, & get free meals, so we kind of have no choice, If I could pick that hotel up & move it anywhere, it would be near the Pantheon, or the Piazza Navona, because they are so central. It worked for us, because we were up by 5:30 each day, & in bed by 9:30 (the open bar helped with the sleep:D) but it would be great to step out of the hotel & be right in the middle of everything. Oh, & spanish steps, nice to see, & nice view from them, but not as cool as the the other sites IMHO.

[LILynn]

I prefer the Pantheon area as well - you can walk to most sites from there.

 

We are staying at a wonderful hotel next to the Pantheon in September called Albergo Del Senato if you are looking for suggestions.

[caripoo]

We have stayed at the Del Senato a couple of times and it is the BEST. The bar on the roof can't be missed at sunset. Both locations are great, but this hotel is the reason to stay at Pantheon.:D:D

[CoralReef]

The Pantheon is at the epicenter of all the major attractions... but if you walk a lot, we found that we ended up passing the Spanish Steps at least a couple of times a day. That area is nice, close to fancy shopping and restaurants.

 

If you don't walk much but plan to take the metro, the location (within the city) is really immaterial since the metro is so good, fast, and cheap. We stayed once near Termini and once near Piazza Popolo, and found those locations quite convenient.

 

I would advocate staying anywhere within the city walls that you can get a good rate at a nice hotel close to a metro stop. I'd rather have a slightly nicer room, a little further from the city center, as opposed to a lesser room at the center... since Rome is so walkable and so well served by the metro.

 

If you plan to travel mostly by taxi, then I would vote for the Pantheon area.

[texancruzer]

We stayed right down from the Spanish Steps our first trip (Hotel Mozart).

We stayed at Albergo del Senato our second trip.

 

While the Mozart was nice and the location also nice, the del Senato is stupendous...... due to a plane delay we arrived in Rome 9 hours later than we were supposed to - essentially missing one whole day. I was not a happy camper !!! But when we checked in they gave us room 204....... turns out it is the only room with a balcony on the FRONT of the hotel.....and a big one too ! I loved it. I could spit on the Pantheon from there if I wanted too :rolleyes: We walked everywhere from this hotel. We also stayed here post cruise trip #2. Worth every penny !

[ernielin]

We spent a week in Rome last September and stayed at Albergo Santa Chiara. In researching hotels I looked at the Albergo Del Senato but did not feel the price difference between it and the Santa Chiara was worth it. The Del Senato was quite a bit more than we wanted to pay. The Santa Chiara also was pricey but still more reasonable. The Santa Chiara is right behind the Pantheon. You walk out of the hotel, turn left, and within less than a minute you are at the Pantheon. The location for sightseeing in Rome is perfect. We walked everywhere, except the Vatican. The weather was very hot and we didn't feel up to the walk so we took a cab. You will love Rome!

[letsgo39]

The ideal location for most tourists is the triangle area between Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The Spanish Steps area is fine, but a little out of the way for most tourists, especially first timers.

 

 

This is my favorite area too. We stayed in the Campo di Fiori area and it was perfect to walk everywhere.I do not like the Spanish Steps area at all but I am not a shopper.

[seabreezer]

Pantheon area is perfect. We were there for 5 days and never had the need to take the metro or bus and only took a taxi twice. It is so centrally located and still an easy walk to see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, Piazza Navona, etc.

[pianoman24601]

I've been to Rome four times, and my daughter lived there for a semester. If you primarily want high-end (read: very expensive) shopping, then that is what is near the Spanish Steps. Other than that, as a tourist attraction, the Spanish Steps are something you might want to see once, but certainly aren't the highlight of Rome.

 

I very much agree with other posters who say that the area around the Pantheon is a great base of operations for visiting various tourist attractions/sites. And the Pantheon itself is amazing. Just standing in Piazza della Rotonda outside the Pantheon (or better, sitting at one of the cafes there with a nice vino rosso della casa) almost brings tears to my eyes every time. It is my quintessential memory of Rome. And I can't wait to see it again in another month!

 

Like other posters, I've also stayed at the Albergo del Senato. The location is outstanding. As a hotel it's good but not stupendous for the price, but I had a corporate rate that made it a tad more enjoyable:D

 

The area around the Pantheon is characterizerd by many small alleys and streets that give a realistic feel of Rome and are often fun to explore. You never know what Palazzo or 1500-year old egyptian column will appear around the next bend.

 

The Pantheon area is close and easily walkable to Piazza Navona, and from there if you're daring and it's not too hot, you can easily walk to Castel Sant' Angelo and even the Vatican (although the latter is a hike).

[slidergirl]

I stayed in the Pantheon area also. I thought it made walking anywhere I wanted to easy. I stayed at the Grand Hotel de la Minerve. It has a fantastic rooftop bar! It is next to the Santa Maria Church. It has a Michelangelo statue, as well as the tombs of Saint Catherine of Siena, and several Popes. It doesn't seem like a grand cathedral from the outside, but it was beautiful and full of history.

There is a wonderful coffee place on the Pantheon plaza, at the far end of it. Tazzo d' Oro.

[dog]

Just returned and stayed at the del Senato in Rome 3 nights in a superior double. Room 302 for our first night was a huge disappointment with hard, uncomfortable twin beds, no internet and safety box not bolted down.

 

After much persistence we were moved to Room 605, also a superior double which is one pictured on the hotel's website and met our expectations perfectly.

It is on the 6th floor with a small walkout balcony.

 

So, specify the room type/location and your expectations prior to arrival if you decide to book there.

[euro cruiser]

It is next to the Santa Maria Church.

Completely off topic, but this reminded me of my cousin's summary of Rome, after I'd dragged him around for a week: "everything in Rome is Santa Maria something or other."

[labeachcomber]

This was a question that I fretted about a lot before our recent trip to Rome. Pantheon seems closer to the "touristy action", Spanish Steps is closer to shopping and the Metro. So which is better?

 

We ended up staying at Hotel Nationale, right next to the Parliament building. It was in a fabulous location, within walking distance of all the major attractions in any direction. It also was more affordable than the more popular Albergo Senato. I think in the end, it really doesn't matter which location you're at, if you're up for walking everything is probably only 5-10 minutes away.

[euro cruiser]

We ended up staying at Hotel Nationale, right next to the Parliament building. It was in a fabulous location, within walking distance of all the major attractions in any direction. It also was more affordable than the more popular Albergo Senato. I think in the end, it really doesn't matter which location you're at, if you're up for walking everything is probably only 5-10 minutes away.

Absolutely. As long as you are within a half mile (or so) radius of the Pantheon (Piazza della Rotonda), which would include the Spanish Steps area as well as Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori, it doesn't make a huge amount of difference.

[CruiseLiz]

We always stay near Campo dei Fiori. It is a fantastic location w/ lots of restaurants in the area & it is within walking distance to most sites in Rome. We recommend staying in this area.

[John Bull]

I plan on staying in Rome a few days pre-cruise. Where should I be looking for a hotel - Pantheon or Spanish Steps area?

 

As other posts' date=' Pantheon / Piazza Navona is much more convenient to most of the sights, ideal when time/convenience are important

But around the [b']top[/b] of the Spanish Steps, as abOsi's post, is a much more peaceful area, plus the park / grounds of Villa Borghese. And you are on elevated ground & many hotels have views over the city to the Vatican. (BTW, there's a hidden elevator to the top adjacent the Steps, accessed from the metro entrance)

So it kinda depends on your priorities.

 

John Bull

[BigGuy25]

Here's another vote for the Pantheon and the Albergo del Senato. Great location, and a very easy stroll to places like Piaza Navona, Trevi Fountain, etc. We were there in July and really enjoy our stay!